The Sentence Of Death - Do You Have It?By Ryan Ringnald

Info: The following sermon was preached in January 2012, but we believe it to be as relevant today as it was then. It is a forthright presentation of biblical, cross-bearing Christianity, and must inevitably be a reproach to those deluded by the falsified system of cross-less, professing Christianity, that is prevalent in the world today. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18) It was preached from the heart of one, who is a dying man pleading with dying men, that all might pick up their crosses and follow the LAMB, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2). It was preached because Scripture teaches, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6) And since the “servant is not greater than His lord”, if the master of the house “resisted unto blood striving against sin”, how much more they of His own household?

This is not a sermon that is easy to hear, nor pleasing to those that “will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts ... heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Nay, I reiterate, it will be an offense to all those that Paul warns of, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Phil. 3:18-19) Sadly, this message, in which “...I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1Co 2:2), is bound to be a reproach, even to regenerate, backslidden saints of this generation, who are “deceiving and being deceived” by the leaven of this age and its landslide of false prophets, “by reason of whom the way of truth [is being] be evil spoken of” throughout the world (2 Peter 2:2). Thus, it is a call to beleaguered and dying Christians to, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God...” (1 Cor. 15:34), even as Paul cried out to the soundly converted, yet sleeping and perishing saints in Corinth.

To my beloved brethren, if you are denying the cross through the pernicious, flesh-pleasing ways of our apostate, damnable, lukewarm days, as the Apostle Peter was in Matthew 16, this is an urgent appeal to you-ward to wake up, before it is too late and the door is shut! “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

The leaven that led to Peter's threefold denial of the cross:

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:21-26)

Please, before you take up a reproach against this, fearfully consider the overwhelming historical and scriptural proof of the doctrine propagated in this sermon:

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”(1 Corinthians 1:23-25)